This weblog was created to act as a platform for the voice of secular pro-democracy activists in and outside Iran who are struggling against the religious dictatorship of the Islamic clerics in Iran.
My favourite quote:
"Evil only prevails when the good stay silent"

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Kaveh Afrasiabi is one of those 'academics' who has his fingers in every pie. Wikipedia introduces him as an Iranian born political scientist who teaches at Boston University, Bentley College, Harvard University, UC Berkeley and Binghamton University. Just like all other Islamic Republic affiliated 'academics' posted around the world to defend and to promote the regime, he has managed to get himself in all those numerous think tanks that have confused the hell out of the US policy makers on Iran and have resigned this super power to having a vague ambiguous policy on Iran.

Lets not forget the media, Kaveh Afrasiabi, is also a 'consultant' for CBS Television and a regular contributor to the New York Times, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle and the International Herald Tribune. Most important of all, Kaveh Afrasiabi is a stooge subordinate of the regime in Iran. He is in fact an even worse version of Baroness Haleh Afshar in the US. Kaveh Afrasiabi is the Supreme Leader of Islamic Republic apologists outside Iran.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Iranian hardline newspaper, Kayhan, was quick to react before the program was even aired. It referred to the program as a new staged exercise by the MI6 and continued to blame Neda's fiancé, Caspian Makan and Arash Hejazi, the doctor who tried to save Neda, as her killers. Angus MacQueen, the proprietor of Ronachan films who was commissioned by the BBC to make the documentary was also accused of being an MI6 agent and implicitly mentioned as instrumental in the downfall of the Eastern bloc Communist governments. The Iranian born producer, Arash Sahami, did not escape unscathed either, he was accused of being a member of an exiled terrorist group.

BBC Persian so far has refused to broadcast the documentary to its Persian speaking audience, saying the content is too political and could upset the Iranian authorities!!

Monday, November 23, 2009

It is not often when a prisoner in Iran is put under pressure to appear on a public confession show but manages to resist all physical and mental tortures and defeats his captors and interrogators. Iranian journalist, Ahmad Zeidabadi is one of those few who can hold their heads up high and join this exclusive club of our national heroes.

Zeidabadi suffered 13 months imprisonment back in 2000 charged with incitement of public opinion and actions against national security. During the last elections he worked in Karroubi's campaign team and shortly after the rigged election results he was arrested.

During his interrogation period, Zeidabadi was put under all kinds of horrific mental and physical tortures yet he refused to give in. His wife Mahdieh, returning from a rare prison visit said Ahmad was on the verge of committing suicide. His jailors and interrogators unable to extract a confession from him tried to compromise with him and told him to simply apologise. Zeidabadi still refused. Today he received a 6 year sentence. Five years of which will be in a prison far away from his family. He has also been banned for life from any socio-political activities. Effectively Zeidabadi has been banned from writing ever again.

Committee to Protect Journalists issued this statement today: “We are outraged by this harsh prison sentence and lifetime writing ban. We urge the appeals court to overturn it,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Mohamed Abdel Dayem. “This ruling is further proof of the government’s determination to muzzle independent voices in the wake of the disputed presidential election in June.”

Meanwhile Brazil's Leftist President da Silva greeted Ahamdienjad and his 200 man delegation as if nothing inhumane has happened in Iran.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

More information about the sudden mysterious death of the 26 year old Dr. Ramin Pourandarjani who served part of his national service in the notorious Kahrizak detention centre has now emerged.

The commander-in-chief of the Law Enforcement Forces, Ismail Ahmadi Moghadam, said the doctor was accused of not treating the detainees properly! Ramin Pourandarjani's mother however has said she had contacted Mohsen Rouholamini's father, Iranian official affiliated with Mohsen Rezaii's election campaign whose son was one of the many victims in the Kahrizak detention centre, and expressed her anxiety that her son was being pressurised to declare Mohsen died of meningitis and not mistreatment.

One of Ramin Pourandarjani's old school friends said Ramin talked to him on several occasions about the horrific treatment of the post-election protesters detained at Kahrizak and on one occasion he said he had complained to the prison authorities that the injured detainees were not given the medicine he had prescribed for them but instead the prison authorities had told him not to worry and just carry on writing the prescriptions.

Old school photo of Dr. Ramin Pourandarjani, seen front row from the left, at the school for gifted children in Tabriz.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Iranian blogger, Ali Behzadian Nejad, was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment by the Islamic revolutionary court. What makes his sentence a first however is not so much what he himself has written on his blog but what other people have left as comments on his posts! In other words he has been sentenced for other people expressing their opinions. His blog can still be seen here : http://navand.blogspot.com/. His last posts in reverse chronological order are :

- Election Program Schedule on TV
- A Mathematical Poem by Professor Hashtaroudi
- Doodle for Google
- Competition in Providing Web Services
- 10 Rules of Being a Human Being
- Enthusiasm of Globalisation
and some more posts about various programming languages workshops.

Another Iranian blogger, Omid Lavassani who had designed mirhossein.com, was also sentenced to six years.

Coincidentally Behzadian Nejad is also the nephew of Moussavi's campaign team director, Ghorban Behzadian Nejad.

What was it Ahmadinejad told his clueless hosts, 'There is almost complete freedom in Iran'

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Slovaks celebrate the 20th anniversary of the velvet revolution which freed them from the yoke of Communist repression.

Look at this magnificent sculpture in the SNP square to mark the anniversary. Its a huge illuminated heart made out of the same barbed wire that went round the borders and made the country a huge prison for all who lived in it.

We envy the Czech and the Slovak people of course but we are hopeful our time will come soon and our children will finally live in a free Iran.

This Sunday will be yet another anniversary of the extra judicial killing of Iran's secular dissidents, Daryoush and Parvaneh Forouhar. The elderly couple were stabbed repeatedly in their home by 'The Hidden Imam's Anonymous Soldiers', the term Iran's intelligence officer operatives like to use for themselves.

The daughter of Forouhars, Parastou has once again travelled to Iran to lead the commemoration ceremony on Sunday. Of course Daryoush and Parvaneh were not the only victims then. Around one hundred dissidents are known to have been killed by these extra judicial methods in the late 90s and it seems these extra judicial killings are continuing today.

Twenty six year old Tabriz University medical graduate, Dr. Ramin Pourandarjani, was serving his national service at the notorious Kahrizak detention centre as a graduate medical officer where many of the worst human rights abuses against the election protesters took place. According to the reports from Iran, Pourandarjani had refused to sign papers which blamed meningitis as the cause of death for several of the detainees. He was found dead in his sleep having no history of any known illnesses. Pourandarjani's father in an interview with Radio Farda said he had not been given the autopsy record nor the death certificate for his son and nor were the family given permission to carry out their own autopsy.

Dr.Pourandajani went to a special school for gifted children at the age of eleven and ranked 1069 in the whole country amongst those who took the university entrance exam in 2001. He is yet another asset from Iran wasted by the enemies of knowledge who rule Iran.

Ramin Pourandarjani can be seen here making a speech at the graduation ceremony. He comes across as a confident, talented individual full of hope for the future. He talks about saying farewell and how the word farewell is such a sad word, but he asks his friends to make this farewell a sweet parting. He finishes by reciting a poem, 'The heart that became alive with love will never die, Its endurance will be remembered forever'

It is the International Student Day today and we are all doing our part for the next day of protests in Iran on 7th December, the National Students Day in Iran.

Let us not forget our fallen bravehearts who have been at the forefront of the struggle against the enemies of knowledge. As the anthem says, we swear in the name of freedom and to the moment they gave their lives that we will continue their path. All forward and with one voice, Long Live Our Beloved Iran

Monday, November 16, 2009

I wonder if Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead read the Times interview with the Supreme Leader's envoy in UK, published last Saturday? Those of us in UK who wrote to our MPs asking why the Supreme Leader is allowed to have a representative office in UK were referred to Baroness Kinnock who dismissed our concerns and replied 'the Centre was a charity engaged in spiritual matters only!'

It is precisely because of clueless and spineless politicians like Baroness Kinnock that states which sponsor terrorism manage to create terror movements through their 'charity and spiritual' networks within our midst.

And if Baroness Kinnock doesn't yet know what suffering is caused to the people of Iran by the despotic Supreme Leader, perhaps she should be encouraged to read the other articles published in Britain's dailies over the last few days:

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Make sure you read the interview with Caspian Makan, Neda's fiancé, in today's observer.

A short version of a documentary made about Neda will be shown on PBS on the 17th and the full version, 'An Iranian Martyr' directed by Monica Garnsey will be broadcaston BBC2 on 24th November, at 9 pm.

On 4th November, hardly anyone from Isfahan managed to get online, which is why there was very little footage from the protests there. The material is gradually coming through however. Here is a clip from a school protest on November 4th in Isfahan:

Next planned big day of protests in Iran is on 7th December, marking the University Student Day. To prevent further protests, the regime is using its intimidation tactics by arresting the student leaders in their houses. Abdollah Mo'meni, student spokesman who was arrested after the election fraud and put on show trial has received a harsh 8 years imprisonment.

17th November I am told is the international students day, Iranian students studying outside Iran must mobilise other university students to display an impressive global day of support for their comrades and colleagues inside Iran. Lets make sure all universities across the world on 17th November stand up against the enemies of knowledge in Iran.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

I was lucky enough to be one of the guests at the Kurt Schork Awards tonight. The award honours the contributions of freelance journalists who cover conflicts overseas and make exceptional acts of courage to bring the news to us. I don't want to do a report on tonight's speeches and the people that won the awards. I feel I won't be able to write well enough to describe the valour of these individuals, hopefully you can follow the above links and find out more about tonight's winners.

But I do want to talk about a serious problem that covering overseas news faces, i.e. the funds are dwindling. Brave individuals are risking their lives for a relative pittance and things are not getting better. As it was mentioned by the panel tonight, I too don't believe there is a lack of interest amongst the British public about what happens overseas, it is the editors who are wrongly assuming this and it depends how you report the news. The more the editors cut out the overseas news from the newspapers and the news bulletins, the more distant people will get and the less interested they will become. Don't for a minute think that what trained journalists can do can be substituted by blogs and untrained substitutes.

So those of you who are always asking what can we do for Iran as expats or non-Iranians, add this to the long list of things you can do, if you think a television news program or a newspaper is not covering Iran because the editor thinks Iran news does not have a 'market' and people would rather know about some titbit news, ring/write/email and tell them that you want more Iran news and buy the papers that do cover Iran related news.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

It was only a few weeks ago when I reported from a conference about a brilliant idea of the symbolic gesture to rename the streets in European cities where the Islamic Republic embassies reside to Neda. I explained how that would boost the confidence of the people in Iran and it won't require the usual obstacles of bringing the Chinese and the Russians on board etc.

The announcement by Oxford University's Queen's College, to establish a graduate scholarship in Philosophy in memory of Neda, who was also a philosophy student, was just along these symbolic gestures which I find very helpful. So it was with no doubt in my mind that Ahamdinejad's messianic junta would soon show its anger and disapproval, and sure enough they soon did. They were furious and they blamed the award on Arash Hejazi, the eye witness to her murder and the doctor who went to her help when she was shot.

The Islamic Republic through its embassy in London has condemned the award and in a letter to the Queen’s College, has claimed Arash Hejazi is ‘a fellow’ to the Oxford University and behind the award 'plot'.

Yet another knee jerk reaction by the messianic junta who never seem to do their homework properly. Arash Hejazi has never studied in the University of Oxford and has no relationships to Queen's College. He has studied in Oxford Brookes University, an academic body completely separate from the University of Oxford. But then again what do you expect from a regime whose minister presents a badly faked PHD certificate form Oxford university as his 'academic' credential?

And wasn't according to the same junta, Neda a martyr of BBC/MeK/Zionist conspiracy who staged her killing? So why not support a graduate award for her? It seems Neda will haunt those who really killed her for a long while to come and they will continue to show their true colours to the world in their constant state of confusion as very bad liars.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Last night as I was browsing through the Iranian news websites, or what is left of them rather, I came across the pro-Ahamdinejad Fars News, which reported on the commemorations held in Isfahan for the 'great martyr of Shiite Islam', Edoardo Agnelli. Somehow the name rang a bell but I was relating it to football not martyrdom and Shiite Islam. Something in the back of my mind was reminding me of a football match years ago when everyone was asked to stand in silence before the match started because of an unfortunate death of someone related to Italian football.

As I read the news further, I realised that my memory hadn't entirely failed me, Edoardo Agnelli was indeed the son of Gianni Agnelli, the wealthy Italian industrialist and the owner of the Juventus football club, but what was all this 'Great Martyr of Shiite Islam' I wasn't aware of? So thanks to Google, I searched for more stuff on Martyr Edoardo and came across a documentary film made by the Islamic Republic, which I had not seen before.

The documentary was as expected. There were lots of negative emphasis on Jewish and Zionism connections. Great Martyr Edoardo's mother was Jewish, all his doctors in the hospital were Jewish/Zionists and the next chosen heir whom 'Martyr Edoardo' vehemently opposed was also his half Jewish nephew from his sister's first marriage to a Zionist and also his death was engineered by the Zionists. All good standard stuff as you would expect from the Islamic Republic. There was one huge mistake however that I stumbled on.

Monday, November 09, 2009

They have everything needed to win a fight, permission for brutality, weapons, state backing and tear gas. But what happens when a tear gas is kicked back in their direction? The Baseej and plain clothes hired thugs run away like all bullies do when you stand up to them. Another footage from the 4th Nov protests:

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Here is yet another example of the nobility of Iranian protesters. An anti riot guard henchman has fell off his motorbike as he rammed into young and old protesters indiscriminately. He has been pulled away from his burning motor bike but the people are not beating him up, they are not mutilating him, just asking him 'why do you beat up innocent people?'

The Baseej has become so hated and despised, the very word which actually means mobilisation has become synonymous with filth, scum and a brainless mercenary thug. So interestingly in the Pro-Ahmadinejad Fars News website yesterday there was a desperate attempt to buy some credibility for the Baseej.

Fars News Agency reports with much enthusiasm, a Baseej member by the name of Mohsen Abbaszadeh, who found a briefcase left in the middle of the road on his way back home. He said he took the briefcase home but when he opened and looked inside it there was nothing that could identify its original owner. It did however contain $250,000 in cash and bank cards.

'one of my friends later saw the owner looking for a briefcase and gave him my mobile number. The owner then contacted me gave a few correct details and I gave it back to him without accepting any rewards in return' The honest Baseej member claims in the report.

Just like any other cock and bull propaganda story propagated by the Islamic Republic, there are always loose ends that don't tie. Surely the bank cards would have identified the original owner if they were returned to the bank. How is it that someone who has rightly not accepted any rewards for doing the right thing is not shy of the publicity reward in the paper?

Well whether the story is true or a desperate attempt to buy some credibility for the Baseej, below is a picture from 4th November showing people throwing loose change at the Baseej taunting them as hired thugs who would do anything for a few bob.

And more pictures of 'honest baseejis' from 4th November:

Video of Baseej above holding a gun shooting at people on 4th November:

Friday, November 06, 2009

Revolution is all about the balance of confidence. Once the people feel confident they can take on the regime and the regime no longer feels confident they are in control, that is when change comes about.

And how is this footage below as an indication of how confident the Green Movement feels? Could anyone have ever imagined it six months ago? Right at the beginning of the clip you see a traffic police van with 'Long Live Karroubi and Moussavi' written with big letters all over it , that is confidence :))

Thursday, November 05, 2009

So far this is the only video footage of protesters being shot at on 4th November, but as you can see even bullets are not enough to push them back. In fact it motivates them further and they shout slogans against the Supreme Leader, chanting Supreme Leader is a Murderer and His Legitimacy is Over.

Look at this lioness standing on a bench to get above others and lead the chants. 'He who says he is just, Is a lying Murderer'. The writing on the wall which the camera zooms on says 'Down with Khameneii' in case you are wondering who they are chanting against :)

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

There are so many images and video footages from today's protests in Iran that I have to go through still, but so far this one here below vividly sums up what the Iranian people are up against.

A girl is walking away and a riot guard stops her, she is all alone against the big metal gate, defenseless and not bothering anyone, but an anti-riot guard decides to lash her across the sheens a couple of times with his truncheon. But there is worse to come, another girl is pulled over and this time she is smacked in the face with the truncheon, she is knocked out and when a young man comes to her aid, he too is pulled away and kneed in the face before more women come to their rescue. Also notice the security agent with the camera who is filming the protesters. This is what they do in public, just imagine what they do behind the prisons.

Its going to take me some time to collect all the film footage from today's protests across Iran, but the first one is probably the most important one in terms of relaying today's protest message to the world. First footage shgows people of Iran chant 'Obama You are Either on Their Side or on Our Side'.

I have always said the vast majority of numerous American think tanks should be renamed as think tanks no thanks and how useless their researchers and policy advisers are. The likes of Flynt Leverett may think Ahmadienjad won the elections and that Ahamdinejad is in firm control of Iran but today the people of Iran once again proved the Flynt Leveretts should be sent to retirement or to the 'dustbin of history' as his friends in Iran often say.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Tomorrow, Tell the World Leaders, the Yearning for Change in Iran Continues. Don't let the People of Iran Down. Don't Let Nuclear Negotiations Overshadow Human Rights Issues in Iran.

Just about every commander in the Islamic Republic's revolutionary guards and in the police force have issued their dire threats against any 'illegal' protests tomorrow.

Yet tomorrow the people of Iran will prove once again that the Green Movement lives on, getting stronger day by day. Join the solidarity with people of Iran demonstrations around the world tomorrow wherever you are.

One of the tactics used by the regime in the last three decades is the cloning tactic. As soon as they feel there is a threat from a trend in the society which could transform into a movement, they will clone something similar and then discredit it by reducing it to something cheap and ridiculous.

One example in recent years was the creation of Hakha. The regime had felt a serious threat from thousands of Iranian youngsters who had become disillusioned with the government brand of Islam and had found a greater appeal in Iran's pre-Islamic religion of Zoroastrianism. Thousands have converted into the old religion outside Iran and in secret ceremonies inside Iran. So in came a charlatan from nowhere who called himself Hakha with the sole intention of converting the Zoroastrian appeal into something nauseating with enough money to pay the shoe string budget Persian LA televisions for airtime. There was no shortage of gullible out of touch Iranian ex pats in America who followed him either.

Hakha twice set an exact date for the 'liberation' of Iran, during which him and his followers would board a fleet of jumbo jets and return to Iran in triumph :)) Needless to say that nothing ever came out of it. Hakha who claimed to have been behind the downfall of the Eastern bloc countries, have a PHD in aerospace and speak many languages was in fact an illiterate charlatan who couldn't even speak Persian or English properly. After Hakha any interest in reviving Zoroastrian values bore the shameful stigma of being a Hakha type fool.

Now once again, the regime is trying to clone the Green Movement with its own newly creation of 'Green Alavi Movement'. Pro-Ahamdienjad websites have announced its creation and fictitious groups and societies have announced that they are joining the new 'movement', although I noticed yesterday many of the links that made such claims were not working. They want to say the Green colours we will see tomorrow are not the protesters but the supporters of the official parade.

This time however they are too late, the real Green Movement is far too numerous and far too deep rooted and the slogans they will chant tomorrow will make it clear as who is who.

Sunday, November 01, 2009

This is how the brave students at Khaje Nassir university showed their discontent against Ahmadinejad's former Guidance Minister today. They turned their backs against Safar Harandi and sang the student solidarity anthem for their colleagues who are imprisoned or have been banned from continuing with their education. Marvellous act of unity and solidarity with their comrades. With daily protests at Iran universities, despite severe repressive measures, Ahmadinejad's coup junta is fast running out of options as what to do with Iran's students.

About Me

Follow Me on Twitter @potkazar
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Last time I was in Iran, was during the Islamic "cultural revolution". I hated what was taking place in front of my eyes.
Illiterate gangs of thugs attacking students and academics and telling them how a university must be run! Book stalls being attacked, with books torn up and burned.
I knew then that I had to do something to get rid of this scourge of clerics who had seized power in Iran.
My main objective in life is to help establish a secular democracy in Iran.
I believe the best way forward for Iran to be based on four pillars of Democracy, Secularism, Nationalism and Meritocracy.
Most countries that have adopted these principles have been prosperous, why shouldn't our people be one of them?